1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and an image recording method, and more particularly, to a configuration of an image recording apparatus, and image forming technology, for forming an image on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inkjet recording apparatus has been known which forms an image on a recording medium, or the like, by ejecting ink from a head while conveying a recording medium or an intermediate transfer body which is fixed to a conveyance mechanism, such as a conveyance belt. In this inkjet recording apparatus, image deterioration, such as non-uniformities and color deviation, is likely to occur in the image recorded on the recording medium, or the like, when variation occurs in the conveyance speed of the recording medium, or the like, due to vibrations, fluctuations in the conveyance load resistance, or the like. Various technologies have been proposed in order to prevent non-uniformities and color deviation caused by the conveyance of the recording medium, or the like.
In the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-17458, an encoder is provided which detects slits provided on the edge of a conveyor belt, and ejection from the print head is controlled in synchronism with the output pulse signal output from the encoder, in such a manner that colored inks are ejected in consideration of the actual conveyance speed, thereby preventing color deviation in the sub-scanning direction.
In the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-211770, the color sequence in a recording device is KCMY, resist marks are recorded onto the recording paper at uniform intervals at the time of printing of the color K (black), the deviation in the movement speed of the recording paper is calculated from information obtained by reading in the resist marks, and the print timing for the colors C, M and Y is controlled on the basis of the calculated deviation in the movement speed of the recording paper, thereby eliminating color deviation caused by eccentricity in the recording paper rollers, or color non-uniformities caused by the density variations in the dots.
However, in the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-17458, since ejection is controlled in synchronism with an output pulse from the encoder, then a uniform time delay occurs between the detection and ejection, and it is difficult to provide correction for speed variations in cases where the speed variations occur in a short period of time.
In the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-211770, the behavior of the recording paper during printing and recording of the color K (black) affects positions of the resist marks, and therefore, if a non-uniformity occurs in the color K, then this non-uniformity is also superimposed on the other colors, C, M and Y, and it becomes difficult to eliminate the non-uniformity. For example, non-uniformities arise in the recorded image, as a result of impacts which occur when the recording paper is pinched between the conveyance rollers or separates from the conveyance rollers.